Don't think too hard about Paprika; like a dream, if you apply too much logic, your head will explode, leaving a nasty mess on the couch.  Surreal doesn't even begin to describe this movie.  Ever had a dream that makes perfect sense at the time, but upon waking, that logic just goes away?  Yeah.  Paprika is like that.  Lucky for us, it doesn't matter.  The film is so pretty and entertaining, we can just remember it as a good dream.

A powerful device that allows a person to share their dreams, the DC-Mini, has been stolen from a psychiatric research facility.  Only partially-tested and certainly not ready for the public, the theft causes panic among the research team members.  When they learn the device can be controlled remotely, projecting dreams into the minds of unsuspecting people and obliterating their personality in the process, panic becomes an all-out scramble to find the thief and bring the rampant dreams back under control. 

Enter Paprika, the alter-ego of Doctor Atsuko Chiba, the leader of the research team working with the DC-Mini.  While Dr. Chiba works with patients at the facility, Paprika walks through peoples' dreams, helping them with their problems.  When the device is stolen, Paprika dives into the dream in an attempt to find the thief and stop him or her from harming others.

The driving theme behind Paprika is the nature of reality.  Directed by Satoshi Kon, the film's theme is similar to that of his other movies, and he offers another example of how one might question reality.  This go around, it's dreams.  There are times in the film when the characters (and by extension, the audience) aren't sure if they are in a dream, or awake and experiencing reality.  Eventually, the two combine, and there's no way to tell what's what.  Watching this movie, I was most reminded of Millennium Actress, which merges movies with reality as a former actress tells her life story.  In Paprika, it's the little details that really make this movie.  The fan that blows on a tissue sticking up out of its box.  The rainwater than runs down a windshield in between swipes of the wipers.  A cluttered apartment, drawn to the last minute detail.  These almost hyper-realistic details juxtaposed against the crazy dream imagery creates an interesting tension.  I really enjoy the play of the subconscious against the world we perceive.  It's an interesting contrast, and Paprika illustrates it beautifully.

The film is full of beautiful artwork, from the fully-fleshed backgrounds, to the nearly completely grey laboratory, to the jaw-dropping dream sequences.  The dreams really are amazingly drawn--a parade of dancing refrigerators and dolls, frogs and umbrellas, coupled with musical instruments, and a statue of the Virgin Mary strolling next to a prancing vending machine--it would take several viewings to figure out all the players carrying the dreamer into oblivion.  The sense of a noisy, overwhelming crowd was nicely captured.  Even the CGI looks good in this movie.  Sequined costumes sparkle in that too-real computerized sense, but in the context of a dream, the oddity works.  The effect used to make floors and walls ripple is just too cool for words.  Even if you're left scratching your head during the credits, it's easy to enjoy the way this movie looks.

Something to look out for are nods to Satoshi Kon's other movies, as well references to such Hollywood classics as Tarzan, The Greatest Show On Earth, and Roman Holiday.  Roman Holiday in particular was interesting to see animated.  But maybe that's just because I really like that movie...

While the dub is just fine, I prefer the sub, mainly because the English voice actress for Dr. Chiba tends to speak in a bit of a monotone.  Sure, she's a serious lady, but the Japanese voice actress just uses a bit more inflection, showing that Dr. Chiba is nuanced and human.  It's easier to believe that Dr. Chiba is more than her occupation in the Japanese version.  Other than that, however, the English dub is nicely done.

The dvd is packed with extras.  There's a filmmaker's commentary, interviews with Satoshi Kon and the original story's author, Yasutaka Tsutsui, two of the Japanese voice actors about the dream sequences, the CGI director, and art director Nobutaka Ike.  Lots of goodies about how the movie was made.

I don't pretend to completely understand this movie.  There are parts that I just have troubles figuring out, but that doesn't detract from my enjoyment.  Maybe that's the point.  One doesn't have to understand a good dream to sit back and enjoy the vacation from reality. 

A note: This film is rated R for a reason.  It's pretty and very colorful, with wonderfully fanciful imagery, but it is not for children.  Violence is subdued, but very much present in the forms of murder and implied rape.  There are some disturbing themes and images.  Keep that in mind before bringing the kids.

Details: 86 minutes, rated R.